Elizabeth Ann Seton Birthday
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton's 248th Birthday
Join us on August 29, 2022, as we honor the life and legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Elizabeth Ann Seton, founder of the Sisters of Charity, was born Elizabeth Ann Bayley in New York on August 28, 1774 to parents whose friends included George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.
In 1794, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, a wealthy businessman with whom she had five children. She became a young widow in 1803, and shortly thereafter, took her vows and received the title, Mother. Her community became known as the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph.
In 1810 Mother Seton established a free school in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She went on to establish schools and orphanages along the East Coast. Today, Mother Seton is widely regarded by many as the founder of the American Catholic school network.
Elizabeth Seton died in 1821 at the age of 46. Her legacy lives on not only through her 30,000 spiritual daughters serving throughout the world, but also through the administrators and faculty who continue to serve students.